How Busy Is Disney World At Christmastime?

Well, we’re about to get into the ho-ho-ho-holiday spirit because it will soon be Christmastime at Disney World!

Magic Kingdom Holiday Decorations

We’re ready to see all the pretty decorations, enjoy some fabulous food and entertainment from the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays, and go to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. But the holidays also bring something else to Disney World: crowds. So just how busy will Disney World be during the holidays?

Park Pass Reservations

We can already tell you that Christmas Day in at least one park at Disney World will be completely full — park pass reservations are gone for Magic Kingdom on Christmas Day.

©Disney

This means that you can expect the park to hit capacity, especially once park hopping begins at 2PM. New Year’s Eve is also completely sold out for Magic Kingdom.

©Disney

Note that park passes could be refilled, but we’re already looking at two very busy days, at least in Magic Kingdom.

In December of last year, the last two weeks of December had days when there were no park pass reservations left for all four parks, and it’s likely we’ll see that again this year, especially now that it seems that travel demand is even higher in 2022 than it was in 2021.

How to make park pass reservations in Disney World

Historically

Christmastime has historically been a busy time for Disney World, although a lot has changed in the past two years. However, we have noticed that the first two weeks of December have the least crowded days in the parks, and the last two weeks are historically the busiest. Last year, the crowds really started picking up the weekend before Christmas.

Weekend before Christmas 2021

So what did those last two weeks of December look like last year? Let’s just say things were busy, even in Disney Springs, when we spotted a LONG line to get into World of Disney (looks like a lot of people always wait until the last minute to finish their holiday shopping).

LONG Line Waiting to Get Into World of Disney in 2021

So we’ll tell you that if you’re visiting Disney World during those last two weeks of 2022, be prepared to stand in line, no matter where you are!

‘We’re Not Out of the Woods Yet’ — Holiday Travel Problems You Need to Prepare For in 2022

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

This year marks the return of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, and that could also mean bigger crowds in Magic Kingdom, especially on party days. The early part of those days might be quiet, but once the party crowds start mingling with the day guests, things are going to feel very busy. We also expect the parties to feel a little more crowded.

2019 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party crowds

Magic Kingdom also closes early to those without party tickets on those days, so expect the other three parks to be more crowded, especially in the afternoons.

Here Are All the Dates That Are SOLD OUT for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in Disney World

Wait Times

If you happen to visit Disney World the week of Christmas, we’re just going to tell you this — wait times for rides could be long, especially for the more popular rides. Last year, there were some rides with multi-hour waits, but we could see even longer waits this year.

Frozen Ever After line

This could mean that Genie+ is a necessity for your party, although depending on demand, it could cost you quite a bit.

Here’s the ultimate guide to Disney Genie and Genie+

So if you’re planning on visiting Disney World in December, we hope you’re forewarned! The parks will be crowded, so you will want to plan ahead. Make sure you have the park passes you need for the weeks leading up to Christmas and be prepared to potentially be turned away from Magic Kingdom due to capacity restraints when hopping.

Be sure to keep checking back with us — we’ll let you know when park pass reservations fill up for parks during the holidays, as well as keep you updated on any changes to park hours (which happens a lot during this time of the year!).

Of course, we also highly recommend keeping an eye on those park hours yourself and make sure to make you make your park pass reservations as soon as you can. It’s also a good idea to get those advance dining reservations made as early as you can — this would be 60 days from the first day of you Disney World trip.

See everything CONFIRMED to return to Disney World this holiday season here!

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